These free apps can help you beat back inflation

With the Americans face to face $ 300 in additional monthly costs due to rising inflation, consumers are looking for ways to save money.

One way to reduce grocery costs are apps like Flipp or Ibotta, CNET Money editor-in-chief Farnoosh Torabi told CBS News.

“These are two free apps where you can store your grocery rewards programs, but more importantly, these apps will also tell you what’s on sale and where the coupons are,” he said. “The days of cutting coupons are long gone and these apps have really replaced that behavior.”

Most economists believe that inflation is likely to remain high for the rest of the year, putting pressure on households to be creative with their savings strategies.

When it comes to reducing fuel costs, that earlier this month reached a record high, Torabi recommends GasBuddy, which shows the cheapest gas station in your area. Other applications to save on fillers include Gas Guru or AAA Mobile. Buying the city’s cheapest gasoline can save drivers up to 25 cents a gallon, according to GasBuddy.

Apps can also help consumers save on vacation travel expenses. As always, the best way to save money is to pay for flights or car rentals well in advance and avoid booking last minute trips, he said.

“The only area of ​​travel that I think could encourage those who want to play a little last minute is hotel reservations,” Torabi said. “There are apps, for example, like Hotel Tonight that can get you last minute hotel deals.”

Janet Yellen, Secretary of the U.S. Treasury Department warned earlier this month that there will likely be another year of high inflation due to market uncertainty as the Ukraine conflict progresses.

Biden previously released millions of barrels of oil from Strategic Oil Reserves to help reduce high gas prices while the Federal Reserve last week raised interest rates for the first time since 2018.